sunstone
by imperial jade
Summary: My grandpa used to tell me stories of an astonishing world. where spirits walked alongside mortals, where it's normal to see an animal that was a mix of species, & how people could make elements yield to their desires. then he gave me the stone. "If you find yourself feeling like you don't belong in this world, this will fix all your problems." i never knew what that ment till now
1. Chapter 1

_My grandfather used to tell me stories of an astonishing world. A place where spirits walked alongside mortals, where it was normal to see an animal that seemed a mix of two species, and of how people had the ability to make the four elements yield to their desires. These stories filled my childhood with wonder, and my grandfather did all he could to fill the void in my life left by my neglectful parents. They discouraged these stories, but at the same time, didn't care enough to keep them from being heard. _

_Everyone agreed I had gotten my looks from him. Out of everyone in our family, only us two had these strange orange gold eyes, and no one could figure out how it was genetically possible. We were strange, so we kept our distance. We were all the other had. Grandma had died when I was young, but I still remember bits and pieces of her. A kind faced woman with long silver hair and soft gray eyes. I'm sure if she had lived, I'm sure she would have spent hours with us, telling and acting out the stories. Singing songs people had never heard of. _

_But the days of singing and storytelling are over. Grandfather had died three years ago when I was eleven. I can still remember it plain as day. Sitting in the chair beside his bed, holding his hand, I was bone weary. He had whispered for me to bring him a box from a false bottom in his desk. I was surprised, it was beautiful, and the decoration was unlike anything I'd seen before. It seemed to have popped out from one of his stories. I handed it over to him, watching as he pulled a key from a chain around his neck. "Your grandmother and I wanted this to be yours," he wheezed. He opened the lid, pulling out a thin strip of leather._

_Attached to it was a small orange gem. He placed it in my hands, curling my fingers around it. "It's your inheritance," he explained with a smile. I stared down at it in wonder. There seemed to be a small flicker inside it, like a small tongue of fire. And I didn't know if I was imagining it, but it seemed to give of heat. "If you ever find yourself feeling as if you don't belong here in this world, this will fix all your problems." My eyes widened, words sticking in my throat. "What do you mean-" But my question would never be answered. Grandpa died right then, and I was alone._

My alarm clock blares, rousing my from my pleasant sleep. I fumbled for the off switch, slamming my fist down when I finally find it. I roll out of bed, wincing as my feet touch the cold hardwood floor. Another unpleasant day at school awaits...why keep it waiting? I spend about ten minutes washing up and pulling on a pair of ripped black jeans and a worn tank with a London flag on it. I slip my grandfather's pendent on before grabbing my backpack from my desk chair and a random book off the stack from my nightstand before running downstairs. 'Mom' is fixing 'dad' breakfast, who sends me a distasteful look from over his newspaper.

"What are you wearing?" 'mom' asks. She looks appalled, but then again I don't care. "You look like a Goth prostitute," 'dad' spits as I pick up an energy bar from the counter. So what if I didn't brush my hair? I like the way it looks. It brings out the light beige streaks I had dyed in. I glare at him as I walk out of the kitchen, pausing only to slip on my boots and toss on my oversized black hoodie. Jackass. I make sure to slam the door behind me, smirking as I hear the frame rattle and my father swear loudly. I take of down the street, eager to get into a warm room.

The rest of my day goes as usual. Walking my mile in gym, making up excuses for not having homework, sitting alone at lunch, reading fiction books behind my textbooks. I fiddle with my pendent every few minutes, taking comfort in its mysterious warmth. It's like a small sun, bringing light and warmth into my small world.

My life sucks, and all I want is for something exciting to happen. Something like in those stories I loved. The bell rings, telling me it's time to go home, but that's the last place I want to be. I have $15 in my pocket, so I head to a local café and finish my book. By the time I exceed my budget, it's almost seven.

I don't feel like going through the front door, so I climb the old apple tree on the side of the house and pass through my window. I change into my pink and black plaid flannel pajama pants and a black tank top before my stomach grumbles. With a sigh I slip on my tan imitation Uggs and shuffle downstairs. As soon as I step in the kitchen, the lights flick on. 'Mom' and 'dad' glare fiercely at me from their spots at the table.

"What is this?" 'dad' asks. He holds up an envelope. I shrug. "you're failing all your classes! You don't turn in any assignments! We raised you better than this!" 'mom' screeches. "You didn't raise me," I whisper. "Grandpa did." 'Mom's face goes red as she crosses the room. She brings her hand across my face, leaving my cheek stinging. "Ungrateful brat," she spits. "It's the truth," I mutter. "You two never loved me, you think I'm a freak just like everyone else." She backhands me again. So I guess I hit it right on the head. "You don't need to deny it, I've known sice the beginning. All you do is insult me." "To think we gave life to such an ungrateful thing," 'dad' spits as I cup my cheek. "You don't belong here, and you know it. You and the old man!"

How dare he talk about grandpa that way. His own father...It makes me sick. "You both were an abomination. i'm surprised you haven't been made a lab subject yet." That's all the incentive I need. "Burn in hell!" I yell at them as I kick dad in the shin. I dash up the stairs as he howls in pain. I hear his footsteps thud against the steps as I slam my door. I crumple in front of it, tears welling up in my eyes. I bite my lip to keep them from falling. I knew they hated me, but voicing it cut me deeper than I expected. There's a thud on my door that signals 'dad's arrival.

I clutch my pendent as he continues to pound away on my door. I want to leave. I want to go somewhere where I can love and be loved. I want to go somewhere where I don't have to waste my life in boring routine. I want to go somewhere I belong.

A surprisingly hard blow ends the door caving in a bit. My back arches with it as a strangled cry escapes my lips. "OPEN THE DANM DOOR!" 'dad' roars. My tears spill over splashing on my hands. "Get me out of here!" I whimper. A blazing heat erupts from between my palms. I scream as me pendent seems to be engulfed in flames. Before I can comprehend what's happening, it explodes. My screams are cut off as I'm blasted back into the wall. I'm out before I hit the floor.

**XXxXX**

"Aang I know you're upset!" Katara yelled. "And I know how hard it is to lose the people you love. I went through the same thing when I lost my mom," she yelled, her voice wavering for a moment. She fought to keep it steady. "Monk Gyatso and the other air benders may be gone, but you still have a family. Sokka and I! We're your family now." The air swirling around Aang seemed to slow for a moment, slowly lowering him to the ground. As soon as his feet touched the ground Katara and Sokka stepped out from behind their rock. They approached cautiously, and soon enough, the swirling winds died completely, letting them walk up beside the young air bender. His tattoos still glowed, but his frown had been smoothed out.

"Katara and I aren't gonna let anything happen to you," Sokka said soothingly. Katara grabbed his hand, and his tattoos lost their glow. He slumped over, allowing Katara to catch him. "I'm sorry," he mumbled. "It's ok," Katara reassured him. "It's not your fault." He looked back at the ground. "But you were right," he said. "And if fire benders found this temple, that means they found the other ones too. I really am the last air bender." As soon as the words left his mouth, an explosion rocked the cliff. Katara and Sokka dragged Aang behind a nearby boulder, flinching as debris flew over and around them.

"Fire Nation," Sokka growled, drawing his club. "How dare they show themselves here!" They peered around the side of the rock as the dust cleared, but there were no soldiers there. Instead, a small body lay face down in the snow. They watched her for a minute, but the figure didn't move. Katara eventually got up, making her way over. The other two followed more cautiously but sped up when Katara knelt in front of the body. They peered over her shoulder, watching as she flipped the body on its back.

It was a girl, and by the looks of things she seemed around Katara's age . She had waist length dark brown, almost black, hair, with the underside colored a weird pale tan color. She appeared to be out cold, and the clothes she wore were odd and exposed her dangerously to the snow. Her skin was pale, the areas where her skin was in contact with snow was starting to turn a pinkish red color. The front of her clothes were soaked through, and she was shivering. If they left her like this for much longer she'd freeze to death.

"Come on," Katara commands, slipping the girl's arm around her shoulders. "We've gotta get her inside." The other two nod. "I got her Katara," Aang whispers. He goes through a few movements, and soon the girl is floating. "Go get her some blankets," he orders. "I'll put her in the nearest guest room." Katara and Sokka nod, heading back to Appa. Aang does his best to hurry inside, working through his lack of energy. He finally spots a bedroom, stumbling inside and trying not to drop the girl. Katara walks in with a pile of blankets as he sets her down.

"How did she get up here?" Katara asks as she tucks the girl in. "I don't know," Aang whispers. "Just ask her when she wakes up." Sokka stands in the doorway, holding a bowl of water. "In the meantime, lets heat this up for her," Aang and Katara nod, making their way toward the door. Aang glances over his shoulder on last time, spotting a thin leather band hanging around the girl's neck. At the end is a small hunk of orange crystal, as if there was supposed to be a gem there but it had been broken off. He disregarded the information for the moment. He'd save all his questions for when she woke up.

**XXx Author's Notes xXX**

**Well...this was a spur of the moment though that popped into my head a few hours ago. I was happy that I had a plot after dinner so I went ahead and typed it up. Hope you enjoyed it!**

**Till next time! ~Jade ^^ **


	2. Chapter 2

I can feel warmth pool on my cheek as I roll over. "She's been like this for the past hour," a soft female voice says. It's laced with concern, but it still makes my pulse leap. Where am I? My heart hammers in my chest as she gets a response. "Do you think she'll wake up soon?" This voice is male, but it sounds like it belongs to a kid. "Just leave the girl alone you two," another male voice groans. This boy sounds older, but I can't put an age on it. I roll on my side, trying to move away from the voices. But all that happens is there's a lack of anything solid under me and I fall in a tangled mess to the floor. A sharp pain shoots through my knees and elbows as they hit the cold stone.

I grit my teeth as I feel a hand rest on my shoulder. "Are you ok?" the female voice asks me. My eyelids feel heavy, but I manage to open them slowly. "I think so," I choke out. I raise my head seeing a pretty girl with large blue eyes. As soon as we make eye contact her eyes widen and she scrambles back. "Y-you're-" I raise my head a little farther, confusion clouding my head. Before I can blink a sharp blade is thrust in my face. The older boy, who looks much like the girl, glares at me, standing protectively in front of the other two. "How did you get here?" he asks angrily. "What do you want?"

I stare stupidly at him, not knowing how to respond. "H-huh?" I whimper. "Where are the rest of the Fire Nation troops? There's no way they'd leave a girl like you alone!" I gulp nervously. "What are you talking about?" I ask. "Don't point that thing at me!" His glare intensifies. "Don't play innocent! We know who you are! No one but fire benders have eyes like those." What? Fire benders? But...that's...not possible. "Where am I?" I ask. "And why are you branding me by something as trivial as my eye color?" My answer seems to confuse them, and I take that opportunity to pull myself to my feet.

"How stupid do you think we are?" the boy asks. "You're from the Fire Nation! Now tell us where they are!" the older boy yells. Anger bubbles up inside of me at his pigheadedness. I stomp my foot and let out a sound that sounds like a mixture of a strangled cry and a growl. "NO I'M NOT!" I yell, clamping my eyes together. My voice is reaching hysteria levels, and I can feel tears start snaking down my face. "I'M JUST AS CONFUSED AS YOU ARE!" I finally open my eyes, and am startled by what I see. Jets of air are flowing around my body in a spherical current, creating a bubble around my body.

My hair whips around me, and my tears float off my face. I let out a scream, stumbling backwards and falling onto the bed. The sphere breaks, sending jets of air in all directions. No. This isn't real...this can't be. Nothing like this exists outside grandpa's stories. I stare at my hands, a mixture of terror and fascination washing over me. But...the Fire Nation...bending... "You're an air bender?" I raise my head, taking my eyes off my trembling hands. The younger boy, a bald kid with large grey eyes and strange blue tattoos walks towards me. "How is that possible?"

I shake my head mutely. "I think you owe her an apology Sokka," the girl mutters. "But how is it possible?" the older boy echoes. "She's got the looks of a Fire Nation citizen, but she's an...air bender?" The girl approaches me cautiously, putting a hand on my shoulder. I freeze, and she removes it, but bends down so our faces are level. "What's your name?" she asks softly. I don't know what it is, but something about her seems motherly, and makes me feel like can talk to her. "It's R-Rena," I choke out. "Where am I?" She brushes the hair out of my face, and pulls the blanket off the floor, draping it over my shoulders. "You're at the Southern Air Temple," she answers. My eyes shoot open.

"The Southern..." I trail off. "How did I get here?" "We were hoping you could tell us that." I look up at the bald kid from before. "I don't know," I whisper. "The last thing I remember was my pendent-" Panic washes over me as I fumble with my leather chain. My horror is confirmed when I see the stump of crystal. "My pendent exploded." The three of them share a confused look. Eventually, the girl spoke. "You must be freezing Rena." I shiver involuntarily. "Yeah," I mutter. The smaller boy stands, walking over to a chest on the other side of the room.

"Katara, why don't you get her cleaned up? There's and indoor hot spring not too far from here, just down the corridor to the left." The girl nods, offering me a hand. I take it reluctantly, clutching the blanket around my shoulders. "Try and find her something to wear while we're gone ok?" the girl, Katara, orders. "And some food too." The two of them nod and I let Katara lead me out of the room. "How old are you Rena?" she asks. "I just turned fourteen," I mutter. "Same with me," she says happily. "So how are you feeling? You were out for a few hours." I let this information sink in. I don't really know what I'm feeling at the moment. "I feel tired, I guess. That's all."

Katara slides open a door and we are greeted with a gush of warm steam. It mists over my skin, causing me to shiver when it evaporates. "Here," Katara says, handing me some towels from a stand near the door. "You go wash up. I can wash your clothes for you want." I nod numbly before stepping behind a changing screen. In five minutes I'm neck deep in warm water, twirling my hand around the steam clouds. I still can't believe this is happening. I suck in a lungful of steam, feeling the slight reassuring burn in my chest. This is real. There's no way even I can dream in this much detail.

I step out when my fingers start to prune. Katara is waiting for me in the changing area, a pile of white cloth resting in her arms. "Feeling better?" she asks. "Yeah," I sigh. She gets up, setting the clothes down in her chair. "Hold still a sec." I stare in wonder as she goes through some hand movements and every last drop of water is pulled from my hair. She streams it back into the spring before picking up the cloth again. "That was amazing," I breathe, touching lock of my now perfectly dry hair. A wide smile crosses her face. "Thanks," she mutters. She hands me the pile. "Judging by the size of the size of your other clothes, I think these should fit you just fine." I nod and take them behind the screen.

In a minute I step out in a pair of slightly baggy white pants that resemble sweats and a matching kimono-style top. Katara helps me secure the tie, and gives me a once over. She smiles and I slip into my worn Uggs. "You hungry?" She asks as we walk through the halls. "Yes," I whisper, and my stomach rumbles in agreement. She leads me into a large room centered around a decorative fountain. The other two boys are sitting around a small campfire, munching on various fruits and bits of meat. "Rena!" I lift my head and the small boy runs at me with unimaginable speed. Within seconds he's in front of me, engulfing me in a hug.

I stand shock still until he lets go. He eventually bounce back, a large smile on his face. "I'm so happy to meet you! I was starting to believe I really was the last air bender!" I try to smile for him, remembering the story of the great war grandpa told me. To think something like that actually happened makes my stomach churn. But this kid is now alone in the world, and there might just be some way I can help him. "But, I don't know anything about being an air bender," I reply. "I didn't even know I could bend, much less what to do when I actually want to use it."

A smile spreads over his face. "Why don't you come with us then? I can teach you everything I know!" I'm awestruck at his invitation. "Really? You'd let me stay with you?" "Of course!" Katara says, handing me a strip of dried meat and a cup of steaming tea. "We wouldn't just leave you here. Besides, Aang will need a partner to practice his air bending on our way to the North Pole." I look at him curiously. "Are you by any chance...the Avatar?" His eyes widen. "How did you know?" I take a sip my tea while I think about how to answer. I don't want to lie to them, but I don't want them thinking I belong in an asylum either. But what else can I say?

"Well, I started freaking out when I woke up because everything you guys said to me coincide with places in stories my grandfather used to tell me. I thought I was delirious, but I don't think I'm dreaming anymore. In all honesty the whole Avatar thing was just a guess." They stare at me with different expressions of shock. I slump my shoulders. "Now you think I'm a nutcase don't you?" "Yeah kinda." "Sokka!" Katara scolds, smacking him upside the head. "What?" he whines. "Come on Katara, I spouted stuff like that would you think I was sane?" "Well I didn't see you explode into a snowy mountain range." Aang scoots closer to me while they argue.

"Don't worry about Sokka," he says with a small smile. "I still want you to come, and so does Katara." I return the smile, watching in amusement as Katara freezes Sokka's feet to the ground. "So will you come with us Rena?" she asks as she turns back to us. I stare at the people who've saved my life. There's something about these three that practically screams adventure. So what better way to break from my tedious, lame, uneventful life? "OK," I say. "I'd love to." Aang and Katara engulf me in a hug, with Aang cheering like a kid on Christmas morning. "Alright, enough of the hug business," Sokka grumbles as he picks the last of the ice off his feet. "We should move out, before any real fire benders show up."

They let go of me and begin picking up camp, but after a few minutes, Aang breaks away. "Rena!" he yells, waving me over to the pile of supplies. I walk over, tripping slightly over the uneven floor. "Yeah?" I ask. He tosses me a long stick, which I barely catch. "That's your glider, as soon as you learn to control your bending I'll show you how to fly." A look of disbelief passes over my face before it's replaced with excitement. "Thanks Aang!" I yell. "And Katara and I found these for you," he says, producing a yellow Kimono top, a large pastel yellow fur coat, and a pair of orange and white furry boots that resemble a very expensive pair of Uggs back home. I grin as I wrap myself in the top and coat and slip on my new boots.

"Katara, do you still have my old clothes?" I ask. She nods, pulling them from one of the bags. I toss them in the dying fire, and they're engulfed in seconds. Katara comes by a minute later and extinguishes the flames, sending me a questioning look but asking nothing. "OK I'm good," I say. She leads me out of the room and into a courtyard where an amazing sight awaits me. "Whoa..." I breathe as I look up at the gigantic furry creature in front of me. "His name is Appa," Aang says with a smile as he lands lightly next to me. "He's amazing," I whisper. "Come on," he says holding out his hand. "Everyone's already on. Ready for your first air bending demonstration?" I nod as I take his hand. "Just do what I do," he says with a small smile.

I nod. We push off the ground, and I'm flying. Well semi-flying. We land in the saddle and I plop down next to Katara. "That was awesome!" I cheer. Aang promises to teach me more in a bit as he climbs onto Appa's head. A small furry bundle rockets into my lap, and I recognize it as some sort of lemur species. I smile and scrach his ears, gigglig as he purrs in his weird little lemur voice. "Yip Yip!" I only get a second of warning to grab onto something before we're soaring. As soon as the feeling settles in, I've never felt more at home. I look over the side of the saddle, watching the landscape blur as we pick up speed. The air temple gets smaller and smaller with each passing minute. Now, this is where my life really begins.

**XXx Author's Notes xXX**

**Whoo! I got really excited for this fic so I was able to get this out pretty fast. Thanks so much for reading! I hoped you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it. let me know what you think of my OC, cuz there's more to come. I'll update as soon as school, and homework, and choir allow...and let's not forget Halloween! That takes up a lot of time for me too! Anyways, till next time!**

**~Jade**


	3. Chapter 3

"All done," Katara says as she ties off the last locks of my hair before letting it fall down my back. "You wanna see it?"

"Sure," I say as I turn to face her.

She pulls a small mirror from one of her bags and holds it up for me.

"Wow, it looks great!" I exclaim.

It really does. She somehow managed to tame my wild mane and pull it into a style similar to her own. All the parts that were dyed the sandy tan color are held in place by red and yellow beads that loop around and tuck into a small bun at the nape of my neck that consists of all my brown hair. The tan under layer is pulled into a braid that comes to a stop at my waist. The rest of my brown hair is dangling down in front of my shoulders in two tassels.

"Thanks!" I say, handing the mirror back with a smile.

"It's no big deal," she says, picking up a pair of pants that needs mending. "It's been a while since I've had someone's hair to braid."

"Hey Rena!"

I turn towards Aang as he climbs up from Appa's head.

"You ready for your first flying lesson?" he asks.

I gulp nervously, looking over the edge of the saddle. The ocean is a blur of sapphire and cobalt, with occasional explosions of fine white foam. Not the most ideal place to land if I fall.

"Uh... yeah," I call. "But I think I'd feel better if we weren't over the ocean."

"If you want to be a bender, you have to let go of fear," he says with a grin as he grabs his staff.

"Aang, the last time you said that we got stuck inside a booby trap on a Fire Navy ship," Katara says with a slight edge to her voice.

He smiles sheepishly before turning back to me.

"So...then is that a no?" I exchange a look with Katara, who just sighs and goes back to mending.

I take that as a whatever. So I just smile nervously and grab my staff.

"Ok, I'll try," I say as I go to push myself to my feet.

Then I remember I can be lazy and cheat now. I create a soft gust of air that lifts me too my feet. But I'm still not used to flying, so as soon as my feet touch down I have to clutch the railing of the saddle to keep from falling over.

"Good job!" Aang cheers as I finally gain my footing. "Not bad for a beginner."

I smile weakly, trying to ignore the fluttering in my stomach as I watch the ocean blur beneath us.

"Come on!" Aang says.

He taps his staff on the floor of the saddle ad the wings pop out. I mimic the action and grip it tightly as I swing it over my shoulders.

"Just take a deep breath and jump," Aang advises.

And with that he jumps off, leaving me gawking after him.

"Oh well," I mutter. "You only live once."

I take a deep breath jump, squeezing my eyes shut. For a moment, I feel that all too familiar plunging in my stomach as I fall. But then it stops and a soft breeze caress my face. I open my eyes slowly, and am amazed at the sight. I'm gliding a few feet above the surface of the water. I look up, and am surprised when the action begins to help me gain altitude.

Soon I'm soaring at the same altitude as Appa, and waving to Katara as I fly past. The lack of concentration makes me waver slightly, and I fall a few feet.

"Nice job Rena!" I hear Aang call.

I look to the side to see him gliding next to me. There's the all too familiar 'show off' gleam in his grey eyes as he soars upwards.

"Now try this!"

He leans back, and guides the glider into a backflip. As he exits the loop he touches back down onto the saddle, as if it's the most natural thing in the world.

I grin and attempt to mimic the action. It works for the most part, that is until I touch down. My feet touch the ground just as we hit a bit of turbulence and I slip and belly flop onto the floor.

"Well, that was almost perfect," Katara mutters, trying to suppress a laugh.

I ignore it and roll onto my side, smiling up at her and Aang.

"That was amazing!" I yell. "But I gotta admit, I'll be more enthusiastic about trying again when I have solid ground under my feet."

"That's understandable," Aang says as he hops over to his spot on Appa's head. "We'll be on land soon enough so we'll be able to practice some more."

The thudding in my chest slows as I breathe deeply. The clouds float past us, and I wonder what it would be like to fly through one. Would I just get wet or would nothing happen at all?

"You saw it right Rena?"

I jerk out of my day dreams and push myself into sitting position. Aang is looking at me like he's expecting me to agree with whatever he just said.

"Sorry, what was that?" I ask.

His shoulders slump as I scoot closer to Katara, feeling like I should be helping her fix clothes if I'm going to travel with them.

"Stop bugging them airhead," Sokka says from his seat in the back of the saddle. "You need to give girls their space when they do their sewing."

"What does me being a girl have to do with sewing?" Katara asks in a clipped tone.

"Simple," Sokka says as he reclines on the saddle. "Girls are better at fixing pants than guys. And guys are better at hunting and fighting and stuff like that."

"Well that's extremely sexist," I mutter.

Sokka just shrugs and leans back on the bags of supplies as if he doesn't sense Katara's irritation growing with every word that leaves his mouth.

"It's just the natural order of things."

"All done with your pants!" Katara says in a sugary sweet voice. "And look at what a great job I did!"

She flings the pair of dark blue pants at him. They catch a gust of wind and hit him square in the face. We giggle as he struggles to pull them off.

"No wait! I was just kidding!" he yells as he sticks his arm through the hole in the leg. "I can't wear these! Katara please!"

"Don't worry Sokka!" Aang calls from the front. "Where we're going you won't need any pants!"

I stop laughing and look over my shoulder. We've begun to descend over a huge island that's almost shaped like a back to back crescent. It's mountains are covered in heavy blankets of snow with bits of green peeking through.

"It's beautiful," I whisper as Aang lands us in a huge bay area filled with glittering turquoise waves.

I'll bet it's beautiful here in the summer.

Aang jumps off Appa's back and begins eagerly scanning the sparkling waters. I jump down next to Katara and a still somewhat grumpy Sokka.

"We just made a pit stop yesterday," he grumbles. "Shouldn't we get a bit more flying done before we camp out?"

"He's right," Katara says. "At this rate we won't get to the North Pole until spring."

"But where would we camp out?" I ask. "We're in the middle of the ocean. And I thought you couldn't figure out where we were on the map."

Sokka bristles at my last statement.

"And besides, Appa's tired already," Aang says. "Aren't ya boy?"

I giggle as Appa gives a half-hearted growl.

"I said, aren't ya boy?" Aang tires again, elbowing the giant bison for emphasis.

He growls louder, causing a triumphant smile to cross Aang's face.

"Yeah, that was real convincing," Sokka says sarcastically. "Still, hard to argue with a ten ton magical monster."

Aang ignores him and lets out a gasp, running to the shore line.

"Look!" he yells, pointing out to the expanse of water.

The three of us rush forward just in time to see a giant fish break out of the stillness of the water. My eyes widen at the sight.

"Elephant koi," I whisper, not believing my eyes.

"Yup!" Aang yells as he starts tossing his close in a pile on the sand.

"That's why we're here. I'm going to ride one. You guys gotta watch me!"

And with that he takes a running start before diving into the salty waves. He jumps up above them almost immediately, screaming at the top of his lungs about how cold it was before swimming farther out into the bay.

When he resurfaces again, he's clutching the side of the giant fish's fin. A grin spreads across my face as I watch the fish dive. My veins sing with adrenalin every time I watch the fish break to the surface. I want to try that.

But the excitement shatters as a large shadow appears from the sapphire depths of the bay. It's long and slithers like a serpent mercilessly feeding on the beautiful koi. And Aang is oblivious to it all.

I watch in horror as it catches the koi he's riding, sending him hurtling towards the shallow water. he resurfaces, gasping for air just as a fin the size of a three story house unfolds over him.

He screams, and to my amazement, rockets back to shore. Despite the danger of the situation, I find it amazing that he's practically running on water. Is it and air bending or water bending skill?

Just as that thought crosses my mind he reaches shore. He barrels into Sokka, sending them flying back a few feet. I finally un-root my feet from the ground when I see the fin fold down an disappear beneath the waves again.

Well, there go my plans for trying to ride an elephant koi.

I turn around and rush over to the other three. It seemed that their flight was interrupted by a tree. That had to hurt.

"What was that thing?" Katara asks as I come to a halt beside her.

"I don't know," Aang responds as he pulls his clothes back on.

I help pull Sokka to his feet, and if he's winded, he's brushed it off better than I thought he would.

"Let's not stick around to find out," he says as he brushes off his hands. "Time to hit the road."

As soon as the words leave his mouth, a bunch of green and gold blurs surround us. I can barely lift a finger to try and defend myself before I'm blindfolded, bound and shoved to the ground.

It sounds like the same thing happened to the rest of them because as soon as I spit out a mouthful of snow I hear four more thumps on the ground beside me. from the chattering I hear the even got Momo.

"Or we could stay a while..." I hear Sokka mumble from a few feet away.

Well, I wanted an adventure...looks like I stuck with the right people. But now my main concern is whether or not I'll survive long enough to have more.

I've been wracking my brain since we landed on this island. And dread gathers in the pit of my stomach as I'm shoved to my feet and guided to what I think is farther inland. I don't know anything that could possibly help us right now.

**~Author's Notes~**

**so sorry i've been out so long...life hates me, but it's nice to know you guys don't! please R&R! and i've got a pic of Rena up ono my dA page, so if you're interested theres a link on my bio page. till next time!**

**~Jade**


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